A 39-year-old Pleasanton man has been arrested and charged with multiple crimes after authorities said the man, angry over a personal conflict, used a blowtorch to set his own clothes on fire while his children were inside the home.
In a statement Monday, Pleasanton police said detectives arrested Kent Hermanson last Thursday on suspicion of aggravated arson, child endangerment and domestic violence in connection with a suspicious fire around 4:30 a.m. April 17 at a single-family home in the 5500 block of Paseo Navarro near Hansen Park.
One police officer said in a probable-cause declaration that Hermanson’s wife had reported that he was still angry about an earlier interpersonal conflict when he yelled at her to get the couple’s children out of the house — using a blowtorch to set his own clothes on fire.
Authorities said Hermanson was not wearing the clothes at the time he started the blaze, but not did not provide more specific details.
She, at least one other adult and several juveniles were able to evacuate on their own and were not hurt in the fire; Hermanson was also unhurt. Firefighters brought flames under control in a half-hour, with the house suffering major damage and three neighboring homes evacuated as a precaution.
At the scene, an officer placed Hermanson on a wellness hold, but he refused to give a statement after being read his Miranda rights. Livermore-Pleasanton Fire officials took over an arson investigation, while his wife was given a protection order.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s office on Monday charged Hermanson with one count of felony arson of an inhabited structure, as well as four counts of child abuse, according to a charging document.
He was listed in custody Monday afternoon at Santa Rita Jail, and faced an arraignment hearing Tuesday at Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice, according to a county records check.
Staff writer Angela Ruggiero contributed to this report.
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